Journal Entry I 1789 July 17th
So many things have been happening recently. I feel extremely befuddled and distressed. Exactly one month ago, on June 17th, the contemptible Third Estate members voted to establish the National Assembly. I was utterly shocked when I heard this news while having dinner with my beloved husband and daughter. I could not believe that the Third Estate can even dare to make such an odious action. In other words, the obstinate, revolting delegates from the Third Estate dared to pass laws and make reforms in the name of all French citizens. I just could not stay composed as I continued to get upset at the Third Estate people.
On the last day of June, my family and I was heading to the house of Antoine de Bosc, who is a close friend of my husband. Furthermore, I have a relatively intimate relationship with Antoine de Bosc’s wife as we have known each other for countless years. We were invited to have dinner with Antoine de Bosc’s family. On my way, I encountered a dreary construction worker called Artur Durandal fighting violently with another Third Estate man. He was finishing up his work in the construction of a building near the dwelling of Antoine de Bosc, when he got into a brawl with another worker who took part in constructing the same building. The two workers were screaming obscenities at each other, which was truly scornful to see. I did not exactly know what they were fighting over, but the encounter of such abhorrent incident made me irked. Still, I held back my irritation and went to have a pleasant meal with the esteemed Antoine de Bosc’s family. During the dinner, I heard the conversation between my husband and Antoine de Bosc about several unsettling issues including the declaration made by the Third Estate members that named themselves the National Assembly as well as the Tennis Court Oath. I found out that the Tennis Court Oath was apparently a pledge made by the Third Estate delegates to remain in the indoor tennis court until they come up with a new constitution on June 20th. I could not restrain myself from mocking those audacious delegates. Although the meal with the family of Antoine de Bosc was delightful, the discussion regarding the loathsome deeds of the Third Estate members was absolutely vexatious.
Unpleasant events ceaselessly took place. It was truly painful and distressful to hear about frightful incidents from my husband. Three days ago, on July 14th, a mob looking for gunpowder and arms stormed a Paris prison, the Bastille. This repugnant group formed by the Third Estate members seized the building, took all the arms, released the prisoners, brought the Governor and Lieutenant governor to the Greve to be decapitated, and set them through the city in victory to the Palais royal. Hearing this news from my husband made me to be exceedingly appalled. My husband was also outraged by this grotesque event. The Storming of the Bastille by the Third Estate individuals meant a lot. For the Third Estate members, the fall of the Bastille was a real triumph. On the other hand, for the upperclass people including me, it served as a shameful, frightening, and detestable event. I am still enraged about everything that has happened recently. Along with this anger, I feel very anxious and befuddled. Although I keenly hope that nothing abominable happens from now on, I have a premonition that things will aggravate as the revolutionaries take more extreme actions.
It has been a long time since I wrote my journal. Things are indeed aggravating. Roughly two years ago, the radical Third Estate delegates came up with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This senseless declaration called for freedom, equality, property, security, and resistance to oppression. In fact, this proclamation appeared very ridiculous to me as I strongly believe that not everyone deserves those rights. They attack society as being an “Old Regime,” but the question must be asked, if this so-called old society is so bad, then why did our society exist harmoniously for so many centuries? Now, everywhere I look, I see chaos, tension, war, and violence.
Soon after, the Nation Assembly finalized the new constitution of France, which instilled great shock and dismay within me and other nobles. I believe that it was September 26th, 1791 when I heard this news regarding the new constitution and the new Legislative Assembly. I can still clearly recall that day because I became exceedingly appalled and upset on that day. In the morning, I was strolling along the street when I heard two dismal looking individuals enthusiastically chattering about the new constitution and the new Legislative Assembly. The young woman and man seemed to be siblings. They claimed that the new constitution that was completed a few days before, formed a limited-constitutional monarchy and was approved by Louis XVI. Furthermore, those siblings asserted that the Legislative Assembly that was created held the power to pass laws and to confirm or reject declarations of war. I simply could not believe that they were telling the truth, so I interrogated them about whether their conversation was accurate or not. The youthful woman, Véronique Bonnet, replied that everything was genuine. This clearly ruined my day as I became extremely horrified and infuriated. If the commoners could control the king, then what would become of the Church and the aristocracy? Time passed very slowly. My family, friends, and I were ceaselessly suffering under the weight of uncertainty. We nobles, were victims of the angry Third Estate members. Everywhere I walked, the commoners glared and shouted out insults or dark prophecies of my future. As the repugnant revolutionaries took more extreme measures, numerous relatives and friends of mine, who were also nobles, escaped France in order to save their own lives.
In 1792, things became more dreadful. France entered into war with Prussia and Austria as they demanded the French to return Louis to his place as an absolute monarch. Due to this terrible war, the abhorrent lower Estate people imprisoned Louis, Marie Antoinette, and their children. Along with this imprisonment, the radical mobs led the September Massacres in which they cruelly killed numberless people. I was frightened and I am still afraid. The radical, despicable Jacobins in a quick stroke, took over the new assembly, the Convention, arguing that people who support the king should all be executed. As a result, many advocates and supporters of the king were killed. Watching my beloved companions face their brutal deaths was truly painful for me. The Jacobins are indeed real hypocrites. They speak of equality and Enlightenment, oppose hysteria and old traditions, and establish a Committee of Public Safety, yet their tactics go against order and lawfulness, they choose mass-arrest and murder over reason, and even attempt to end our relationships with the Church.
On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was decapitated by the guillotine as he was accused of treason. I could not believe that the vile revolutionaries made our former king to meet such a shameful and petrifying death. My family and I spent everyday full of fear and anger. While we were tremendously exasperated about the events that were happening, we were also scared as we needed to find out a way to survive. After pondering upon the solution to this problem for a while, my husband and I decided to flee to Germany, where my husband’s relatives reside in. Almost two weeks ago, on March 30th, we carried out the plan. When we covertly reached the border, however, we encountered a group of French soldiers. We became startled and hid ourselves in a small hut in order to avoid getting caught by those men. In the hut, we met a noble man called Raphael Lacroix and his brother, who were also attempting to escape from France in order to remain alive. While my spouse and I were sharing a conversation with Raphael Lacroix and his brother, Nathaniel Lacroix, several French soldiers stormed into the hut. At the time, there was nothing that we could do; the situation was utterly hopeless. We became arrested and were put into the prison. Although Raphael Lacroix and Nathaniel Lacroix initially ran away when the soldiers rushed into the hut to arrest us, they were captured on the border and eventually were imprisoned in the same jail as my husband and me. However, my espouse and I never got to meet Nathanial Lacroix and his sibling again. I still cannot accept the fact that this is the reality. I am currently writing this journal in the prison. I wonder what will happen to us now. Now that my husband and I are facing such hardships, my only wish is to one day see my family, my friends, and the France that I once knew as a child. Otherwise, I pray for an honorable and dignified death.
The abhorrent revolution ended recently. I simply cannot express my joy over the end of such revolution! Regarding how much strains and difficulties it has caused, I cannot think of a worse event in my life. My husband and I have been released from the prison on July 30th, 1794, after the radical, Maximilien Robespierre, became executed. We went back to our house with liberty and delight. However, the pleasant sentiments did not last long as we found our praiseworthy residence partially destroyed. Obviously, we were able to suspect who made such damage. While we were in prison, the repugnant mob of commoners have vandalized a part of our exquisite house.
In October 1795, a young officer named Napoleon Bonaparte suppressed the royalist rebels with a cannonade. I became aware of this while having dinner with husband and his lawyer, Zinedine Zidane on October 31st, 1795. My espouse and Zinedine Zindane were discussing how Napoleon Bonaparte crushed the royalist rebellion. I could not believe that Napoleon Bonaparte did such thing to the royalists! Yet, he became the hero of France and was praised throughout the entire Paris. After this incident, Napoleon Bonaparte led the French army against the armies of other nations. While the newspaper and the public continuously eulogized his accomplishments, I clearly have to admit that I did not like him very much.
During this year, 1799, the Directory lost its authority of the political situation and the confidence of French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte came back from Egypt during this time and was encouraged by his companions to take over political power. In November, Napoleon Bonaparte held the coup d’état of France. His army and he drove out almost every members of the national legislature and replaced the Directory with a group of three consuls. When I heard this news, even though I was shocked, I was still content as it at least meant the end of the loathsome revolution. Finally, the revolution was over!
After Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, I spent a relatively long time pondering upon how the revolution affected me. None of the impacts of the revolution on me were positive. My family, my friends, and I suffered through the most arduous and anguishing events and situations because of the execrable revolution. I still cannot accept the disgraceful fact that my husband and I had to stay imprisoned for a while five years ago. The revolution clearly damaged my life to a great extent. If this horrible revolution did not take place, my life would have been pristine and flawless. While some of the Third Estate members at least obtained wealth due to the revolution, I earned nothing beneficial from it. Now that I have went through so many hardships, I simply feel overly exhausted from everything in life. The revolution has evidently ruined and damaged my life. I desire to live peacefully and pleasantly from now on.
1789 July 17th
So many things have been happening recently. I feel extremely befuddled and distressed. Exactly one month ago, on June 17th, the contemptible Third Estate members voted to establish the National Assembly. I was utterly shocked when I heard this news while having dinner with my beloved husband and daughter. I could not believe that the Third Estate can even dare to make such an odious action. In other words, the obstinate, revolting delegates from the Third Estate dared to pass laws and make reforms in the name of all French citizens. I just could not stay composed as I continued to get upset at the Third Estate people.
On the last day of June, my family and I was heading to the house of Antoine de Bosc, who is a close friend of my husband. Furthermore, I have a relatively intimate relationship with Antoine de Bosc’s wife as we have known each other for countless years. We were invited to have dinner with Antoine de Bosc’s family. On my way, I encountered a dreary construction worker called Artur Durandal fighting violently with another Third Estate man. He was finishing up his work in the construction of a building near the dwelling of Antoine de Bosc, when he got into a brawl with another worker who took part in constructing the same building. The two workers were screaming obscenities at each other, which was truly scornful to see. I did not exactly know what they were fighting over, but the encounter of such abhorrent incident made me irked. Still, I held back my irritation and went to have a pleasant meal with the esteemed Antoine de Bosc’s family. During the dinner, I heard the conversation between my husband and Antoine de Bosc about several unsettling issues including the declaration made by the Third Estate members that named themselves the National Assembly as well as the Tennis Court Oath. I found out that the Tennis Court Oath was apparently a pledge made by the Third Estate delegates to remain in the indoor tennis court until they come up with a new constitution on June 20th. I could not restrain myself from mocking those audacious delegates. Although the meal with the family of Antoine de Bosc was delightful, the discussion regarding the loathsome deeds of the Third Estate members was absolutely vexatious.
Unpleasant events ceaselessly took place. It was truly painful and distressful to hear about frightful incidents from my husband. Three days ago, on July 14th, a mob looking for gunpowder and arms stormed a Paris prison, the Bastille. This repugnant group formed by the Third Estate members seized the building, took all the arms, released the prisoners, brought the Governor and Lieutenant governor to the Greve to be decapitated, and set them through the city in victory to the Palais royal. Hearing this news from my husband made me to be exceedingly appalled. My husband was also outraged by this grotesque event. The Storming of the Bastille by the Third Estate individuals meant a lot. For the Third Estate members, the fall of the Bastille was a real triumph. On the other hand, for the upperclass people including me, it served as a shameful, frightening, and detestable event. I am still enraged about everything that has happened recently. Along with this anger, I feel very anxious and befuddled. Although I keenly hope that nothing abominable happens from now on, I have a premonition that things will aggravate as the revolutionaries take more extreme actions.
Bibliography:
McDougal Littell Modern World History Text Book
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pffrenchrevolution.htm
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/Ant+Farm+French+Rev.+Sabin+Kim
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/Character+Making
Journal Entry II
1793 September 4th
It has been a long time since I wrote my journal. Things are indeed aggravating. Roughly two years ago, the radical Third Estate delegates came up with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This senseless declaration called for freedom, equality, property, security, and resistance to oppression. In fact, this proclamation appeared very ridiculous to me as I strongly believe that not everyone deserves those rights. They attack society as being an “Old Regime,” but the question must be asked, if this so-called old society is so bad, then why did our society exist harmoniously for so many centuries? Now, everywhere I look, I see chaos, tension, war, and violence.
Soon after, the Nation Assembly finalized the new constitution of France, which instilled great shock and dismay within me and other nobles. I believe that it was September 26th, 1791 when I heard this news regarding the new constitution and the new Legislative Assembly. I can still clearly recall that day because I became exceedingly appalled and upset on that day. In the morning, I was strolling along the street when I heard two dismal looking individuals enthusiastically chattering about the new constitution and the new Legislative Assembly. The young woman and man seemed to be siblings. They claimed that the new constitution that was completed a few days before, formed a limited-constitutional monarchy and was approved by Louis XVI. Furthermore, those siblings asserted that the Legislative Assembly that was created held the power to pass laws and to confirm or reject declarations of war. I simply could not believe that they were telling the truth, so I interrogated them about whether their conversation was accurate or not. The youthful woman, Véronique Bonnet, replied that everything was genuine. This clearly ruined my day as I became extremely horrified and infuriated. If the commoners could control the king, then what would become of the Church and the aristocracy? Time passed very slowly. My family, friends, and I were ceaselessly suffering under the weight of uncertainty. We nobles, were victims of the angry Third Estate members. Everywhere I walked, the commoners glared and shouted out insults or dark prophecies of my future. As the repugnant revolutionaries took more extreme measures, numerous relatives and friends of mine, who were also nobles, escaped France in order to save their own lives.
In 1792, things became more dreadful. France entered into war with Prussia and Austria as they demanded the French to return Louis to his place as an absolute monarch. Due to this terrible war, the abhorrent lower Estate people imprisoned Louis, Marie Antoinette, and their children. Along with this imprisonment, the radical mobs led the September Massacres in which they cruelly killed numberless people. I was frightened and I am still afraid. The radical, despicable Jacobins in a quick stroke, took over the new assembly, the Convention, arguing that people who support the king should all be executed. As a result, many advocates and supporters of the king were killed. Watching my beloved companions face their brutal deaths was truly painful for me. The Jacobins are indeed real hypocrites. They speak of equality and Enlightenment, oppose hysteria and old traditions, and establish a Committee of Public Safety, yet their tactics go against order and lawfulness, they choose mass-arrest and murder over reason, and even attempt to end our relationships with the Church.
On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was decapitated by the guillotine as he was accused of treason. I could not believe that the vile revolutionaries made our former king to meet such a shameful and petrifying death. My family and I spent everyday full of fear and anger. While we were tremendously exasperated about the events that were happening, we were also scared as we needed to find out a way to survive. After pondering upon the solution to this problem for a while, my husband and I decided to flee to Germany, where my husband’s relatives reside in. Almost two weeks ago, on March 30th, we carried out the plan. When we covertly reached the border, however, we encountered a group of French soldiers. We became startled and hid ourselves in a small hut in order to avoid getting caught by those men. In the hut, we met a noble man called Raphael Lacroix and his brother, who were also attempting to escape from France in order to remain alive. While my spouse and I were sharing a conversation with Raphael Lacroix and his brother, Nathaniel Lacroix, several French soldiers stormed into the hut. At the time, there was nothing that we could do; the situation was utterly hopeless. We became arrested and were put into the prison. Although Raphael Lacroix and Nathaniel Lacroix initially ran away when the soldiers rushed into the hut to arrest us, they were captured on the border and eventually were imprisoned in the same jail as my husband and me. However, my espouse and I never got to meet Nathanial Lacroix and his sibling again. I still cannot accept the fact that this is the reality. I am currently writing this journal in the prison. I wonder what will happen to us now. Now that my husband and I are facing such hardships, my only wish is to one day see my family, my friends, and the France that I once knew as a child. Otherwise, I pray for an honorable and dignified death.
Bibliography:
McDougal Littell Modern World History Text Book
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/Katie+Kim+Journal+Entry
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/Ant+Farm+French+Rev.+Katie+Kim+G
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/monarchymodern
Journal Entry III
1799 December 20th
The abhorrent revolution ended recently. I simply cannot express my joy over the end of such revolution! Regarding how much strains and difficulties it has caused, I cannot think of a worse event in my life. My husband and I have been released from the prison on July 30th, 1794, after the radical, Maximilien Robespierre, became executed. We went back to our house with liberty and delight. However, the pleasant sentiments did not last long as we found our praiseworthy residence partially destroyed. Obviously, we were able to suspect who made such damage. While we were in prison, the repugnant mob of commoners have vandalized a part of our exquisite house.
In October 1795, a young officer named Napoleon Bonaparte suppressed the royalist rebels with a cannonade. I became aware of this while having dinner with husband and his lawyer, Zinedine Zidane on October 31st, 1795. My espouse and Zinedine Zindane were discussing how Napoleon Bonaparte crushed the royalist rebellion. I could not believe that Napoleon Bonaparte did such thing to the royalists! Yet, he became the hero of France and was praised throughout the entire Paris. After this incident, Napoleon Bonaparte led the French army against the armies of other nations. While the newspaper and the public continuously eulogized his accomplishments, I clearly have to admit that I did not like him very much.
During this year, 1799, the Directory lost its authority of the political situation and the confidence of French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte came back from Egypt during this time and was encouraged by his companions to take over political power. In November, Napoleon Bonaparte held the coup d’état of France. His army and he drove out almost every members of the national legislature and replaced the Directory with a group of three consuls. When I heard this news, even though I was shocked, I was still content as it at least meant the end of the loathsome revolution. Finally, the revolution was over!
After Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, I spent a relatively long time pondering upon how the revolution affected me. None of the impacts of the revolution on me were positive. My family, my friends, and I suffered through the most arduous and anguishing events and situations because of the execrable revolution. I still cannot accept the disgraceful fact that my husband and I had to stay imprisoned for a while five years ago. The revolution clearly damaged my life to a great extent. If this horrible revolution did not take place, my life would have been pristine and flawless. While some of the Third Estate members at least obtained wealth due to the revolution, I earned nothing beneficial from it. Now that I have went through so many hardships, I simply feel overly exhausted from everything in life. The revolution has evidently ruined and damaged my life. I desire to live peacefully and pleasantly from now on.
Bibliography:
McDougal Littell Modern World History Text Book
http://splashman.phoenix.wikispaces.net/Ant+Farm-Diary+Entry